Kiosks deliver free super fast wi-fi to Philadelphia

Kiosks are provided by Intersection as part of its street furniture agreement with the city

LinkPHL is helping to support Philadelphia's goal of creating a modern infrastructure

Philadelphia has activated the city’s first kiosks that deliver free super-fast, secure wi-fi and other services at no cost to taxpayers or users.

In addition to wi-fi, the LinkPHL kiosks offer mobile device charging, phone calls to anywhere in the US, access to municipal and emergency services, maps and directions, and community events, arts and cultural information.

Smart street furniture

LinkPHL (pronounced “Link Philly”) is provided by Intersection, a smart cities technology and media company, as part of its street furniture agreement with the city through the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (oTIS).

As well as replacing and installing new bus shelters, Intersection will deploy 100 Link kiosks in high-density, high-pedestrian traffic areas throughout the city, beginning in the Centre City district.

“I expect that Philadelphians and visitors to our great city will use and love all that LinkPHL has to offer. It is exciting to finally see the kiosks launch today in Center City,” said Jim Kenney, mayor. “LinkPHL’s many amenities support our SmartCityPHL goal of creating a modern infrastructure that will benefit Philadelphia for many years to come.

LinkPHL is also one of the only free public wi-fi networks to offer a secure, encrypted connection

LinkPHL kiosks also provide residents and visitors with useful information and engaging community content, ranging from timely information like news and weather, to civic engagement initiatives and enriching arts and cultural programmes.

Through the new Link wi-fi app, LinkPHL is also one of the only free public wi-fi networks to offer a secure, encrypted connection. The app allows users to automatically and safely connect to LinkPHL’s wi-fi whenever they’re in range of a Link.

The app also provides an interactive map that shows the nearest available Link hotspots and locations of future Links.

Intersection said it will continue to develop partnerships with local organisations to offer Philadelphians new ways to engage with their city.

LinkPHL is free to users and taxpayers because it is supported through advertising on the Link displays. In addition to covering the costs of installing, maintaining, and upgrading LinkPHL, advertising is also expected to generate millions of dollars in revenue for Philadelphia, which will help fund public services.

“We are thrilled to build upon our successful partnership with the city of Philadelphia and oTIS to bring connectivity, useful services and local information to the streets of Philadelphia for residents and visitors,” added Jen Hensley, president of Link at Intersection.

“LinkPHL is the latest step in our vision of improving daily life in cities by connecting communities, people, and businesses and we are excited to have Philadelphia join the growing network of Link cities around the world.”